


A Story of Heroes and Monsters

by Altea_tel_Nazarick



Category: Overlord - Maruyama Kugane & Related Fandoms
Genre: As he/she/it/they should in an isekai, Evolving Tags, Oh yeah God shows up in the beginning, no beta we men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27415684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altea_tel_Nazarick/pseuds/Altea_tel_Nazarick
Summary: After years of suffering alone in a dusty hospital room, Lyabric finally dies, only to appear before God, who grants her wishes and sends her to the New World.You know that feeling when you start writing a lit fanfic but forget you also gotta write the summary? Yeah...
Relationships: Ainz Ooal Gown | Momonga & Original Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. A Hero Before God

No one’s brought me food in… days. I don’t know how many days, but it’s been a long time, long enough that it doesn’t really hurt anymore. I can’t feel anything.

I can’t move, I haven’t been able to move for weeks, I don’t know why, the doctors in this hellhole treat me like a soulless doll.

I want to cry, but I don’t have the energy. I’m so alone. I miss my friends. I miss Momonga… How is he doing? I didn’t even get to say goodbye. Does he think I just abandoned him like the others? My chest hurts just thinking about it.

Haa. I’m so thirsty. And tired. Lonely.

My chest hurts...

* * *

My body feels so light… Did I finally die?

_ ‘Lyabric Caithe, female, 24, only born of the American-branch Caithe Family of Earth. You, who have led a miserable life but have not cursed God, welcome to Heaven.’ _ A being of pure light announced, giving the impression of a smile. I looked around, expecting… I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. 

It was my old bedroom. Garish pink walls, lacy blankets on a massive bed with lacy stuffed animals everywhere. My headset on the nightstand. Ugh,  _ this  _ place.

The being laughed at my disgust, causing me to look back at them. If I had had lungs, my breath would have caught. It looked like me, me when I was 17 and healthy, who still had life in my veins and hope for tomorrow.

_ ‘I had hoped that familiar surroundings and a familiar face would make you feel at ease, but it seems I was wrong. Forgive me, it’s been quite some time since last I conversed with a Child of Adam and Eve.’ _

I wanted to raise my hand but found I could not, given that I no longer had any. Well, that’s disconcerting.

They... It? She? Grinned at me, it was my grin, and it felt very weird seeing it first hand.  _ ‘No need for that, please! Speak your mind. _

“R-right. Uh, well… Are you sure this is heaven and not, you know. The other place?”

The eyes (my eyes?) bugged out of her (my?) head  _ ‘Ha! You’re so funny! Is it the room? I must admit it’s a bit… harsh on the eyes.’  _ She hummed, fingers to her chin as she looked around.  _ ‘How about…’ _ And suddenly we were in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, standing before the Throne of Kings and surrounded by the flags that represented the members, my friends. 

A rush of relief ran through me and I wanted to cry, though I lacked a body. I was finally home.

Once again I turned to the strange being, who sat upon the Throne, only…

Ulbert.

_ ‘How is this, hm? Better?’ _ Not-Ulbert said. They looked the same, sounded the same, but… It wasn’t Ulbert, and that made me a little sad.

But I’ll take it over what it was before. “Yes! Much better.”

_ ‘Good! Then, now that that is settled, allow me to introduce myself. I have many names, but you may know me best as ‘God’, I am the architect behind your existence, your creator.’  _ He said, arms outstretched. There was a long pause.

“Ah. Neat. So is reincarnation a thing?”

He made a displeased sound.  _ ‘Oh, come on! Really? You’re not shocked? Surprised? Happy? You’re talking to God Almighty right now!’ _ He huffed, leaning back on the Throne.

This guy’s a little full of himself, isn’t he? Well, I guess if I was a god I might be as well, so I guess it’s fair. “Well, I mean I died. So the options of who you could be are very limited. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy, you seem like a nice… person? You’re not as cold as I was expecting, at least.” I paused, thinking over my next words carefully. Finally, I sighed. “I am confused, you said it’s been a long time since you’ve spoken to a human. Why me?” He perked up instantly, sitting up.

_ ‘Why you?’ _ He grinned.  _ ‘Well, let’s start from the beginning, shall we? You had a very promising start to life, your parents were exceptionally wealthy, in a world where money is happiness, it’s the best start anyone could ask for, right? But you weren’t happy. Why?’ _ Very straight to the point, it kind of caught me off guard.

“I was comfortable, sure, but my parents didn’t love each other, quite the opposite actually,” I admitted, old bitterness rising to the surface. “It didn’t matter that they hated each other, though, my grandparents wanted to merge their businesses and fortunes, so my parents had no choice. Of course, the family needed an heir, so I was born.”

My feelings started to jumble together, and there was pain where my jaw and chest should have been. “You are a god. You know everything right? But you’ve also never had a family like humans would, right? My parents  **_hated_ ** me, can you understand how that feels? And everyone else only saw me as a means to an end. A _ tool _ .” I spat.

“I don’t know.” I sighed, deflating. “Maybe I should have been happy and grateful, but I just… I was spoiled, and wanted the one thing I couldn’t have.” The pain wasn’t going away and I wondered, looking God in the eye. “But you already knew that, right?  **_God_ ** .”

Ulbert tilted his head, a small knowing smile pasted on his goaty face.  _ ‘Hm. Let’s move on. Despite your privilege, you got a job at sixteen as a secretary for a well-known lawyer, completely unnecessary. Why?’ _

Why does that matter?! Why is he asking these questions, he’s a god! He knows the answers, so why..?

I wanted to get this over with, so I huffed, “Other than during lessons, I barely interacted with other people, so I got a job as a reason to get out of the house and talk to other human beings.”

_ ‘That’s a lie~’ _ He said, but I could tell he was amused.

I felt a heat rush through me, I should have known better than to lie to a god. “O-okay I got a job because, because... of the game, in the game they had that rule. You had to be a working member of society to be able to join the guild. Your avatar also had to be heteromorphic. I probably could have lied about my employment, but I didn’t want to. There, are you happy?”

He smiled, eyes closed.  _ ‘Yes. Now, when you were seventeen, due to a series of events, you ended up saving a child from being hit by a truck, causing you to become paralyzed from the waist down, and later causing you to get cancer.’ _

What? “Wait. The accident caused the cancer?” 

_ ‘Yes. If you hadn’t had that accident you would not have gotten cancer.’ _

Was the room always this cold? “Oh.”

Ulbert hummed in agreement.  _ ‘After your accident, your parents dumped you in a hospital and never visited, correct?’ _

“Shut up.” I gasped, shocked. “Why does it matter?” I whispered, wanting to cover my ears and close my eyes. 

Am I an idiot? Even at the last moment, a small and stupid part of me still wanted them to care. It’s so stupid, after they treated me like the enemy, after they threw me away the second I became too inconvenient, that I still want them to love me. It’s too stupid.

The smile was gone from his face, and he looked a little sad, though it was a bit hard to tell.  _ ‘It matters. Please endure it a little longer.’ _

I pulled myself together. “Yes,” I said. “It was just a confirmation of what I already knew.”

He nodded.  _ ‘So, at the age of seventeen you were paralyzed and abandoned at a hospital, getting cancer at eighteen, and finally getting fibromyalgia at twenty.’ _

I paused, before nodding. “I didn’t know about the fibromyalgia.”

_ ‘Yes.’ _ Ulbert said, a bit of disgust leaking into his voice, reminding me of the real Ulbert.  _ ‘The doctors didn’t treat it either, though they knew you had symptoms.’ _ He said quietly, shaking his head.  _ ‘Finally, you were starved to death by those who were meant to care for you on the orders of your own parents. It became apparent that despite the best cancer treatment available, your case was terminal. So your parents decided to cut their losses and abandon you completely. You finally died of a stress-induced heart attack.’ _ He revealed, his eyes staring, searching me.

I simply nodded. “I… suppose. Yes.”

He leaned forward, hands folded under his chin.  _ ‘How does that make you feel?’ _

What, is he a therapist now? I almost laughed out loud. Instead, I just say, “Sad. Alone. Tired.”

_ ‘Is that all?’ _

If I wasn’t already out of body I swear I would have had an out-of-body experience. “What am I supposed to feel?” I wonder aloud.

_ ‘Angry, perhaps. Hateful maybe. Don’t you hate me?’ _ He presses.  _ ‘I’m God, in a sense I’m responsible for all your suffering. Don’t you hate me for that?’ _

“Do you want me to hate you? Curse you?”

_ ‘What would you do if I said yes?’ _

“Nothing,” I answered immediately. “The way I see it, you just set the board, the moves were made by me and every person I ever interacted with. I’m the one who decided to save that kid, it was my choice.” This almost feels like a test. Like the kind Mother would give me whenever I interacted with her. One wrong move and I’d be picking myself up off the floor.

What’s the point? Asking me questions he already knows the answers to, it’s like he’s trying to upset me. Reminding me of all the bad stuff, saying all I did in life was suffer… Besides…

“Besides, it wasn’t all bad, you know. I had my friends. People who cared about me.”

_ ‘But they left you in the end.’ _ He pointed out like it was a ‘gotcha!’ moment.

“Yeah, so what?” I scoffed. “Am I supposed to cry because their lives don’t revolve around me? I understand that the only constant in life is that things change. It might still hurt a bit, but that’s life, isn’t it?” I stared at the floor, thinking. “Can I ask you a question?”

_ ‘Of course.’ _

“Why are we here? What’s the point of this conversation?” I ask, finally.

He smiled.  _ ‘That’s the big question, isn’t it? Why are we here.’ _ He said, and stood from the Throne, throwing his arms out.

The throne room is gone, Ulbert is gone, replaced by a visage of the child I saved, as we stand beneath a perfect and clear night sky, the likes of which I’ve never seen before, a million little lights shining down upon me. 

Stood upon an infinite still ocean, God says,  _ ‘Walk with me.’ _ And I do.

_ ‘See all of this?’ _ The child gestures about, pointing at the stars below and above.  _ ‘I made all of this, by myself, before I fully understood what I was. Can you imagine the amount of effort and love I put into all of creation?’ _

_ ‘I didn’t create all this on a whim, everything has a purpose. For example, Earth… it was meant to be the first step. A place where tiny mortal souls could mature and grow and become stronger, it was perfect! A little garden for little souls. But… the Children of Adam and Eve… did not behave as expected. How can anything grow if it refuses to accept responsibility? Since the beginning of time, I have watched and waited, but it’s just the same mistakes over and over and over again!’ _ The child wailed, stomping their feet, causing massive waves to rise from the still ocean. I grew cold when I noticed the monsters lurking beneath the waves.

I crushed up against God, steeling myself. Afterall, I’m already dead, nothing can hurt me anymore. 

Right? “Nice story, but what does that have to do with me?”

_ ‘Because you said it was your choice.’ _ The child said in a rush, lip trembling. If I didn’t know better, I’m sure I would have mistaken them as an actual child.

But what are they talking about? “What?”

The child took a breath to calm themself, before saying,  _ ‘You said it was your choice to save that child. You accepted responsibility for your actions, for your suffering. You didn’t blame me.’ _ They said, as if it explained anything.

“I… see.”

The child smiled, a missing tooth adding charm to their face.  _ ‘You don’t, but that’s okay. In any event! In acknowledgment of your growth and maturity, as well as to compensate you for your misfortune, ask anything of me.’  _

I whipped around to stand in front of them, forcing them to stop walking. “What, really?”

_ ‘Yes,’  _ The child said, completely oblivious. _ ‘Anything.’ _

Well, in that case… “Then, I guess… It’d be really nice if I could see my friends again, but… I don’t think Ulbert would want to see me again… and Touch Me has his family, same goes for just about everyone else so… just Momonga would be fine. He’s always treated me like his little sister, and he doesn’t have anyone else, so it should be fine right?” I said, giddy at the thought of seeing my best friend again.

The child looked at me, head tilted sweetly. _ ‘Is that all?’ _

“W-well, that’s… Ah! I know, human bodies are super fragile, so in my next life I want to be strong, like the me from Yggdrasil!”

The child grinned, taking me into his arms.  _ ‘I knew you’d ask for something like that. I think I have the perfect response to your wishes.’ _

I suddenly realized that we stood upon an edge, the ocean falling into a great abyss.  _ ‘It’s time, Lyabric Caithe, my beloved child. But before you go, there is one last thing I wish to tell you.’ _

Anticipation bubbles up within me. “Yes?”

The child stares off into the vastness of the universe, stars in their eyes.  _ ‘That child whom you sacrificed yourself to save? I know you’ve wondered about them, so wonder no more. Inspired by your act of bravery and selflessness, that child dedicated their life to helping others. In the end, by their actions alone will the world be saved.’ _ The child turned their eyes to me.  _ ‘Pretty neat, huh? You basically saved the world!’ _ Saved the world? Is that even possible? 

I hope it is, truly, for the sake of all the friends I leave behind.

“R-really...”

_ ‘Yup!’  _ The child blinds me with their grin as the wind starts to pick up.  _ ‘Now, have fun in the New World! Good luck!’ _ He shouts, finally releasing me into the currents of the universe.


	2. A New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sick as hell, and I'm highly medicated so... this chapter might mysteriously disappear sometime in the future.

Drip. Drip. Drip… I opened my eyes at the incessant sound, finding it hard to see in the darkness.

Is this… a cave? I was cold and damp, but the air smelled clean… and not artificially clean, it was clean in a way I couldn’t really understand since I’d never experienced it before.

I wonder what kind of place the ‘New World’ is?

I sat up, trying to determine the situation. I noticed that, though dim, there was some light. Dim blue half-light lit the tiny natural chamber in clusters, crystals? No, it was some type of bioluminescent plant. 

Still sitting, I tried to lean back with my hands on the ground, when…

Someone touched me?! “Ew, what the fuck?!” I choked, throwing myself to the side. I looked back, but there was nothing there… Freaky shit… 

I reached with my other hand, scratching at where I was touched, unsettled. That… is when I realized. I looked down, with a grimace on my face. Four arms. Four, very pale arms, sharp manicured fingernails, and a very familiar ring on my upper right thumb.

Through clenched teeth, I groaned, “This… This is  _ not  _ what I meant when I said I wanted to be like my avatar!!” I cried. Doesn’t my character have, like, thirteen eyes? Three sets of wings and a fucking black halo? Gold skin, white hair, black sclera...

“Oh my god, I look like a freak… How could you do this to me?! You two-faced asshole!” I was starting to hyperventilate. I squeezed my eyes shut, hands over my ears and face.

“Oh… What is Momonga going to say…” My eyes snapped open, a gasp escaped me. “Momonga… No! There’s no way! I mean, technically, I asked for this, there’s no way he did the same to Momonga. Momonga didn’t ask for this.” I said, full volume talking to myself because obviously, I’ve lost my mind.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the pristine air filling my lungs. “Right. Momonga is more important. I have to find Momonga. My problems come later.” I opened my eyes and stood, a little shaky at first, but my legs didn't fail me and it brought a smile to my face. 

“Okay!” I said, smacking my face a bit. “First thing’s first, I need to get out of here, but… hm… It’s still too dark, I can't see a thing.” I muttered. I wonder… Since this is my avatar, I mean, it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to happen today.

I nodded to myself in agreement, holding only two palms out. “Please work…” I said. Then, “ **{Magelight}!** ”

At first, nothing happened, save a heat rushing over my face. Then, slowly, a baseball-sized orb formed in my hands, hovering. It lit up the entire cave, revealing a thin but tall tunnel leading the way out. I steeled myself with a fortifying breath and started walking.

It didn’t even take three minutes to find what I thought was the exit, but it was blocked by a large boulder. I stared at the giant rock, then looked at my {Magelight}, and smiled. If {Magelight works, then that means my stats are the same, right?

My fist connected with the boulder, and for the briefest of moments, I pondered if I, perhaps, had miscalculated. It was an unnecessary thought, for the boulder disintegrated revealing the bright rays of the sun.

“Ha! This is lit~!” I cheered, kissing my fist. “Okay, God, now you’re only half an asshole.” I scanned my surroundings, finding that the cave was in a lush forest. It smelled… amazing. It felt as if the scent alone could heal a soul. And all the colors! So much green, I used to hate green, it always seems sickly, but this green… it was alive. Did the Earth use to look like this?

A twig snapped, startlingly me and setting me on edge. I slid back into the mouth of the cave, waiting.

“Hello?” The raspy voice of an old man called out. He looked harmless, with a hunched back and a cane in hand. “Is anyone there?”

Shiiiit. What do I do?! This old man’s gonna die of a heart attack if he sees my freaky ass! ...Okay so I’m in the body of my avatar, I can use magic, my stats are the same, the means I have my inventory, right?! HOW DO I ACCESS IT?! THERE’S NO HUD!!

“Hello?” The old man called, only a few feet away now. Fuuuck!

“Please dear God, I don’t want to kill someone on my first day here...  **{Item Box}** !” I whispered hurriedly, shaking with adrenaline. A distortion appeared before me, and my heart soared. I jammed my hand into it, scrabbling for my most valuable item, my World Item, a sting of ‘please’ leaving my lips.

I grasped the edge of something porcelain, hoping it was what I was searching for, I wrenched it out, revealing a blank porcelain mask, the World Item:  **{Deception}** .

Flying by the seat of my pants, I recalled a familiar visage, my old face, my original body, and smashed the mask to my face, feeling a wave of static rush through me.

“Y-yes? Hello…” I called back weakly, leaning against the cave wall, legs weak from fear. I looked up, eyes meeting the old man’s.

He looked overjoyed, teeth missing from his warm smile. “Why, hello there, young lady. Are you lost?” He asked, completely natural. It… It worked, right? I took a shaky breath, not sure how to respond. 

I must have looked sick because the man’s face became worried. “Are you alright? Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe, don’t worry, my homestead is nearby and I’m sure my family will be happy to have a visitor.” The man said, herding me along a small forest trail. I didn’t have time to protest, not that I really wanted to. It was nice being in the presence of another person…

Sad right?

“Come along now, come along...” The old man said, hand on my shoulder. He had quite a firm grip…

“Yes…” I said and just went along. The weather was nice, though I noticed that the sky was starting to turn a bit orange. I guess it’s a good thing I ran into such a friendly person, I don’t know the first thing about camping.

We came upon a large house shortly, it was old, with two stories, but looked sturdy and lived in, with potted plants everywhere and moss on the roof. As we stepped onto the porch, I noticed someone had painted colorful little patterns upon the doorframe and along the railings. It was a nice home, though… Something felt a bit weird, but I couldn’t tell you what. 

The old man opened the door, it creaked loudly as it swung in, and he called out, “Martha! Kids! Come ‘ere, we have a guest!” Then, turning to me, “Welcome to our home, please feel free to stay as long as you like.” He then patted my shoulder as he closed the door and walked past me.

A second later, a spry older woman poked her head out of the backroom, her face lighting up at the sight of us. ”Oh! My, what a lovely young lady! Where’d you find her, dear?” She asked as she came towards me, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Out by the Bone Tree,” He explained, plopping down in an old, worn leather chair. “She looked like she wasn’t doing so well, so I brought her back, thinking she could do with a bit of your famous stew.” He said, whipping out a pipe.

“Not in the house, dear.” Martha scolded gently before turning to me. She eyed me a bit, tucking some of my hair out of my face. “Oh, you’re so thin, poor dear, whatever in the world are you doing all the way out here? No matter, dinner will be done soon, we'll see about getting some meat on those bones.” She rambled, eyes a little unfocused. “Why don’t you go upstairs? The boys are out... hunting. But our youngest is in her room, I’m sure she’d love the company!” She said, shuffling me towards the stairs.

To be entirely honest… I DON’T WANT TO?? But they’re being so nice? In the end, all I could do was nod and shoot up the stairs. I sighed while looking around, it was a short hall, with two doors on each wall and a fifth door at the end. I figured the door painted with flowers was the daughter’s room, so I knocked on it.

A squeak, something crashing to the floor, the door was wrenched open, relieving a woman in her thirties, a look of terror on her face. 

When she saw it was me… it turned to a look of horror. “You can’t be here.” Came tumbling out of her mouth.

“MARY! You better treat our guest well!” Her mother shouted up the stairs.

Mary shook slightly, swallowing, then it was like everything just left her, her face went deadpan, and all the tension left her body. “Yes, mother.” She said, her tone completely blank before she opened her door with a gesture of ‘come in’.

Alright? “Please, don’t mind me,” I said, slipping in as she closed the door. The room was immaculate. The bed was made perfectly, a little teddy bear propped up against a pillow, with a nightstand and a small, neat stack of books next to it. A wardrobe on the other side of the bed, and a desk and chair under the window on the far wall. It looked… like no one lived here, save the lack of dust. 

Mary didn’t say anything, simply walked around me, towards a corner of the room, a book on the floor. She sat in the corner, on the floor and picked up the book, opening it, and just… stared. I don’t think she was actually reading it.

Alright… This is…  _ unbearably  _ awkward. “S-so… You’re Mary, right? I’m Lyabric, it’s nice to meet you.” I said a small, awkward smile on my lips. Mary didn’t respond, didn’t move, her eyes were still, fixed on some unknown word in her book. If I didn’t have enhanced sight, I would have said she wasn’t even breathing.

Something is very wrong.

“Mary. What did you mean when you said I shouldn’t be here?” I asked, looking around her room again. It really felt like no one lived here.

Mary flinched, panic in her eyes. “Shh! Don’t speak so loud, they’ll hear you…” She whispered, her knuckles white as they gripped the book. I stepped closer, causing Mary to flinch again as I crouched down.

“Your parents?” I said. “They seem like nice people, why do we have to be quiet?” I asked, searching her face for answers.

“That’s how they lure people here.” Was all she said, before squeezing her eyes shut tight. Lure people? The way she acts and talks like her parents are predators.

“Mary,” I said, calmly, quietly. “Are you safe here?”

Her eyes snap open, almost popping out of her head, “Ha…” Escaped her weakly. “Am I safe? I’m fine. You, though, you’re not safe.”

“What do you mean?”

“Idiot! You! You… You need to leave. Now, before dinner. No, right this second, out the window. You need--”

**BOOM!** The door was kicked open, startling me to my knees. Mary’s father, the kind old man, was standing there, no cane, back straight, with veins popping out from his head.

“ **YOU** !  _ Ungrateful  _ brat!” He shouted at Mary whose face was white as paper as the light left her eyes. He stalked into the room, making the floor shake as he grabbed my arm and dragged me across the wooden floor.

I was stunned. “W-what are you doing?! Let go!” I yelled, wide eyes as I tried to lean back.

“We’re having  _ dinner _ !” He snapped, before turning to Mary, “Except for you! I’ll deal with you later!” He spat, tone full of poison.

“No…” I heard Mary whisper, quietly. The old man didn’t hear as he dragged me to my feet and out the door.

In the dining room, two men in their forties, the sons? Stood at the table as Martha set a pot down. When she looked up and saw us, she gasped. “John! What are you doing? Let her go!” She shouted, face red.

John released my arm so fast I might as well have burned him. “Oh! I’m so sorry, my dear. It’s just… that girl.” He said, disappointment in his words.

I side-eyed him as Martha asked him what he was talking about as she planted herself between me and her husband.

“Mary was popping off at the mouth again, that girl, always trying to scare our guests away!” He explained, upset. 

Martha sighed, “But she was doing so well!” She turned to me, “I’m sorry you had to experience that, dear. See, Mary’s not… well. In the head. I thought she was getting better, but it seems I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Who to believe? Mary didn’t seem unstable, she was scared. Scared… Of what?

“It’s, it’s fine! Really, I was just surprised…” I laughed it off, but I was watching now.

“Oh, thank you for being so understanding. Now! These are my boys, Jamison, the oldest, and Jonathan, our middle child.” Martha introduced the two, who nodded their heads in turn.

“Lyabric,” I said, still unsure.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Lyabric.” Jamison said with a charming smile that echoed his father’s.

Jonathan held out a hand for me to shake, which I did. “A pleasure.” He said, and I noticed quite a bit of dirt underneath his fingernails. That’s normal, right? He was just out hunting, after all.

“Well, now that introductions are out of the way, let’s eat!” John said jovially as he sat down at the head of the table. Martha took the other end, while Jamison and Jonathan took two seats next to each other. I sat on the other side, closer to John, and looked to my right, at Mary’s chair. Something about it made me feel off, but I didn’t know why.

In short order, everyone was plated up, a soupy bowl of stew in front of everyone. And then silence. Everyone just stared at me. 

… Did they say Grace here? What are they expecting? I worried as that awkward nervousness built up in me again.

“...Well, go on dear! Have a bite.” Martha said with a tight smile. I looked at her, the gears turning in my head…

Something about her looked wrong… Actually, something about all of them was wrong, but I couldn’t place what… It was eating at me.

I opened my mouth, “I was wondering--”

“Don’t do it!” Mary shrieked, flying down the stairs, knife in hand. “Don’t eat the stew! It’s poisoned!” She cried, tears streaming down her face. Everyone was on their feet.

“Mary! Put the knife down, you foolish child!” Martha cried, stepping back from her daughter.

A fist slammed on the table as John stomped past me. “I’ve had enough!” He shouted.

“John, don’t!” Martha cried, trying to grab at him, but he only shook her off. Mary was clearly terrified, as she took step after step back.

She looked at me and yelled, “Run!” As her father ripped the hunting knife from her hand and shoved it through her chin, into her skull. She was dead before she hit the ground.

The world stopped as Martha screamed and someone grabbed me from behind. “Shut up Martha! Stop your wailing! Stop it, I said!” John screamed at her, as his wife sobbed Mary’s name. “Why are you crying?! We’ll be eating like kings this month!” He declared, mania clear in his eyes as he looked at me.

Everything clicked into place. “Cannibals,” I said, disgust and horror gripping at my throat, making it hard to swallow.

“Please don’t think poorly of us, Miss Lyabric. It’s hard living out here, this is how we survive.” Jamison said into my ear as he tightened his hold. Is this what being in shock feels like? I feel so… apathetic. Is this normal? I don’t think it is.

“You survive by eating other people? What, are you going to eat your own sister?” I questioned, bile rising in my throat.

“Why not? We ate Gran and the Old Man, once you’re dead, you’re just food.” He said, eerily calm. Demons. These people are demons. 

“I think I’ve heard enough.” I snapped. “ **{Dispel: Deception}** .” The mask slips from my face, hitting the floor, as the wings bursting from my back manage to throw Jamison to the floor.

As my eyes rearrange themselves and my arms adjust, my enemies' faces twist to fear. “A monster!” John cried, stumbling back, finger pointed.

“You, a family of cannibals, just murdered your own daughter and sister, but I’m the monster? Your logic amazes me.” The words fell from my mouth without thought. “I wonder,” I said. “How many people have you killed? I suppose it doesn’t really matter, since you’ll die today either way.” I said, sidestepping a knife-wielding Jonathan.

I wonder if this will affect my Karma score? Probably not. Not for creatures like this. “ **{Uriel}.** ” Blue flames burst to life in a tornado of destruction. They didn’t even have time to scream, the flames consumed them so fast. As the origin of the spell, the flames could not hurt me, and they were pretty, and I had no will to move.

I picked up Deception, staring at the blank face. “I want to see Momonga…” I said to no one as I slipped the mask back on my face.

Suddenly a flash of light, a bright red, and the world disappeared.


End file.
